William b



(No Model.)

W. B. MINAHAN.

BOOT 0R SHOE. 7

No. 418,922. Patented Jan. '7, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM B. MINAHAN, OF OSHKOSH, \VISCONSIN.

BOOT OiR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 418,922, dated January '7, 1890. Application filed July 25, 1889. Serial No. 318,694. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. MINAHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oshkosh, in the county of W'innebago and State of \Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boots or" Shoes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which make part of this specificatiomand in which each part is denoted by the same letter in all the figures.

The object of my invention is to provide a flexible and elastic foundation for the heel and shank of the foot, thereby breaking the jar experienced in walking, and to give relief to persons employed on railway-trains from the constant vibration, the same being an improvement upon that for which I have an application now pending before the Patent Office, filed August 25, 1888, Serial No. 283,808.

The invention consists, primarily, of aheelcase made principally of elastic metal but very little thicker than common tin, combining a hollow heel and shank, counter, and leather lap, inside of which the inner portion of the boot or shoe has a free vertical movement.

In the accompanying drawings my invention is completely illustrated.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a boot or shoe having my invention as an illtegral part of the same, connecting with the tap at front of shank and sewed to the upper on the curved line 5 s. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of boot or shoe on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal central section showing positions of the diiferent parts with springs flexed and unflexed, as shown in dotted and full lines, respectively. Fig. 4 represents an under side perspective view of my device, showing the crown of the heel slidinginto position from the front. Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of the heelspring.

A represents the leather lap, consisting of a single piece and thickness of leather, its upper and front edge being sewed to the upper on the line 5 s, and the lower edge being fastened in the seam o around heel-seat and edge of shank. This leather lap wrinkles or puffs out slightly near its upper edge when the foot is pressed down, as shown at A in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

B represents the combined heel and springshank, made of steel or other elastic metal, riveted to the shank-spring E with rivets f f at its anterior part, and nailed to the tap, the nails 9 g clinching on the spring-shank E. It is also united in the seam (1. with the leather lap A and the metallic stiffener D, and has an inturned flange b, which is inserted in a corresponding groove in the edge of the crown O.

O is the crown of the heel, consisting of two metallic disks 0 c, or two metallic disks and a leather lift 0 all firmly riveted, as shown at 0 0 or otherwise fastened togetherthe inner disk 0 being slightly smaller than the outer and the outer disk 0 being lapped squarely at the front, so as to give the appearance of a single layer only when the crown is in position. The disks are so separated at their curved edge as to form a groove to receive the flange b of the combined heel and spring-shank B, and the crown is fastened at breast of heel with screws h h.

D is an elongated heel-stiffener of springsteel or other elastic metal underlying the leather lap A, extending upward under the same to the dotted line 3 y, and uniting in the seam a with the leather lap A and the combined heel and spring-shank B. Sufficient space is provided between the elon gated heel-stiffener D and the inner counter to allow the latter to move easily up and down inside the former.

E is a shank-spring of steel or other elastic metal of like form as the insole E and underlying the same as far to the front as the point where it is riveted, as shown at f, to the combined heel and spring-shank B, when it becomes narrower and extends about an inch farther to the front.

F is a heel-spring of V form and of width corresponding with the cavity of the heel. in which it is placed from the under side, its upper front part being provided with a slot or notch 01 in each side, in which the upper parts of the check G fit and hold it in position. Heel-springs of different strength can be used with every size of boot or shoe, according to the weight of the wearer.

G is a metallic check of the form shown in drawi11gs,l arger at its lower part to admit the upper end of the heel-spring F, and narrower at its upper part to hold said heelspring F in position. It serves the double purpose of limiting the extension of the springs and holding the heel-spring Fin a fixed position.

H is a metallic lug fastened to breast of heel by rivets 2'- 'i,andis used to limit the tip- Ward movement of the check G.

I is a metallic packing between the combined heel and spring-shank and the shankv spring E at their front ends to allow space between them for the intriodu'ction of the tap or outsole and to facilitate smoothness of surface of both insole and outsole.

In making a boot orshoe with the abovedescribed heelcase forming a part of the same the insoleis fitted to the'last the usual Way the e eh e d, 0 ell-s ifi he ein r q re a d h hmie w s td t e insole around heel and shanln The heel oasie is th n adj s ed and he d e df he le her lap A pasted or otherwise fastened to the up} per. The last is then withdrawn and the leather lapA sewed at its edge 8 s, the rivet Fig. 3, is inserted from above in the insole and spring-shank E and riveted from below, Whenthe last again inserted, the tap or outsole adjusted, and the boot or' shoe fin! hQ ,v H 1 Having described myinvention, What I 9 mm and d ir t were by L t s Pet-6,1111; ls? l c v i,

l 111 a ho t or shoe, e combi i wi the insole and heel-stiffener, of a metallic he l hese an shank sec r he j qa g in stop secured totheinside of'the breast of the he l-case, a heck pend ng ro the llSO and in engagement with said lug msmpgtne e th d ubl d pr ng W ose me e ha hea in o t h -we nd t e t ter leaf has notched or Slottededges engage m et with the Said en in he su seti a' lb a $9 @l h- M 'I I Q v In a bent r shoe, h .QQmb D P 9f an insole extending the entire length and nnited t the upp a me l c hahk pling inder lying the rear part of said insole and riveted v thereto, a metallic heel-case and spring-shank riveted" at its" from end tofthQw d shankspring, a leather lap 'Th'a'ving its upper and front edge sewed to the upper and its lower edge seamed to the upper edges of the heelcase and spring-shank, a metallic heel-stiifen er Whose lower edges are united to the same the upper and insole, of a shank sp ring riveted "to the rear part of the said insole, a metallic heel-case and heel-stifiener free from i the insole and upper, a lap flexibly uniting the heel-ease andnpper, a spring-shank ex tending forward from the heel-case beneath and free fromcontact With'th'e' shank-spring, hack ihttpese between th ward, nd f h l k sr f n h ni' hs-s hh'at rivets uniting these parts together, an outer 5 1? os a @1 51 i i ewi e i p ed h tween the'sha'n k-spring and spring-shank and there secured, so as to be practically flush w t h et a d h e l-spri g interpos between the bottom of the heel-'cas'eand'the shank-spring, snbs't'antiallyas Set for'thl 41 In a'bootor'shoe, the combination, with a metallic heel-ease having an interned bottom flange, of a crown consisting of two metallic "disks, the inner disk being slightly 1 smaller than the outer dish and the latter being lapped squarely at the from, and the said disks being $Bparated at their curved edges to form a gr 'ooviefor thereeeption of the said n ern n e ai screw o'r astjeri g t saiderown' to the fre'nt' of the said heel-case, substantially asset forth.

5Q"The"eon bination, in a boot or shoe, of the leather lap A, the combined metallic heel nd S a h l a d s iihg-hti h r D, the shank-spring'Eflhe crown C, the heelspring F, the cheek G, and the lug l-I, in'the manner and for the purposes set'forth.

WILLIAM B. MINAHAN. NYitnesses:

A. JJBA BER, F. J. BARBER. 

